After almost two years I’ve been writing less frequently in this blog. The reason is mostly that the title restricted me too much. In the beginning my research was going to focus around mobile phones. But in reality most of my research and my projects are more about web and internet. What I’m researching can be defined by the more general term Sustainable Internet (mobile or not), if you read the previous post you have some hints about what I define as sustainable internet and how to work towards it. After starting sustainableinternet.org I have decided to move this blog there. From now on you can follow my research there. I migrated all the old posts there too. I’m looking forward to this new stage, see you there!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the new RSS feed

Jazz calculator is a flash web site advertising the new eco-fuel VW Passat. It compares its low carbon emissions with the emissions a jazz band generate while playing (breathing generates CO2..). Even if the comparison is quite absurd (that’s the point) I think that its persuasion intent, to show how small the car emissions are, is pretty effective. This idea is quite in line with some of the discussions we’ve had at persuasion, and in line with carbon.to.

By DDB stockholm

The same agency developed a similar idea for the iphone, where your breathing emissions when blowing in the iphone mic were compared with how many km the car could drive emitting the same.

The usability of carbon dioxide information from sustainablecommunications on Vimeo.

Small presentation part of the World Usability Day 2009 activities. Disclaimer: I was sick so I was a bit slow and drowsy.

Using persuasive techniques for (short term) beavioral term. Well done (at least as ad stunt). Check the video.

Via webbsverige

5 hours of sunlight => 1 extra day of reading. I like it. It is however confusing if it’s a hack to the existing sony reader (I would like that) or if they are working in their own device.

Via Engadget

Good Guide, empowering consumers, making data transparent through ICT. I like it. Check their iphone app too.

(Met some of the people working there when at Berkeley last spring)

Carbon guilt is a common problem these days. I’m still wondering around how to balance the fact that we actually need to change pretty radical with scaring away people with a guilty feeling.

At greengaged they set up a confession cabin for lightening our environmental souls. I think it is a pretty interesting topic they are pointing out.

Photography by Travis Drever

Info at : Greenengaged.

The light novel (adapted to anime) Shangri-la presents a dystopical future where the economy market is ruled by the trade of carbon emissions. It plays with concepts as carbon taxes, carbon police corp, turning tokyo into a jungle absorbing carbon, carbon economical speculation… It is set in a high technological world where physical books are banned (cutting trees for storing information.. so last century). It seems that climate change and carbon dioxide reduction are now part of our social imaginaries.

More info // See (legally) online

It has been almost a year since I started this blog. The first year of my phd studies have gone faster than expected and the time for blogging a bit more scarce than I would have liked it to be. I wrote 47 articles, but I think I have as many as drafts or ideas I know I should have written about.

During this year there where around 1300 visits, which is probably more than I expected specially with the low frequency of writing. So thank you to all that have been here! Please comment if you would like to see some concrete improvement.

Now I’m taking a month break, getting married and enjoying the summer. The blog will be back in August with renewed energy and new posts!

The paper written together with Daniel Spikol at CeLeKT has been accepted at Mobile Human Computer Interaction 2009 in the workshop on Sharing Experiences with Social Mobile Media.

Here is the abstract:

We have a personal relationship with mobile phones, since they are closer to us than any other technological device. They are ubiquitous (60% of the world population owns one), individual, and pervasive through our lifestyle (we have them with us all the time and everywhere). These modern devices are nearly as powerful as personal computers, always connected to Internet and loaded with sensors like GPS and accelerometers. These mobile devices offer the opportunity to persuade users to change attitudes and behaviors towards personal health and environmental issues. For this paper we will focus on the design of a mobile application for reducing in carbon dioxide emissions, using the definition of “Climate Persuasive Services” that can change personal attitudes and behaviors regarding climate change for reducing greenhouse gases emissions. The paper presents design practices that have resulted in a prototype mobile application.

I will post the pdf soon.